Foreign Extension School Staff
Bob Turner - Director of Extension Studies / Instructor
Bob Turner graduated from the Bear Valley Bible Institute in February, 1993. Bob serves as the Director of Extensions and the Dean of our Master’s in Missions Program and an instructor in our Bachelor’s level program. Bob brings with him a wealth of experience. He served as a missionary in Prince Rupert, B.C. Canada for five years, and served full time with the Greenbrier Church of Christ (Greenbrier, Arkansas) for 11 years. While at Greenbrier, Bob completed his Master’s Degree (from BVBID). Bob’s years as a missionary makes him especially qualified to serve as the Director of our Extension Program.
Keith Kasarjian - Assistant Director of Extension Studies / Instructor
Keith earned his Bachelor's degree from Faulkner University and his Master's in Biblical Studies from the Bear Valley Bible Institute of Denver. Keith has preached for more than 20 years for congregations in Alabama, Tennessee, and Kentucky. He has been a part of the Bear Valley Extension Program since it's beginning in 1997, having taught in Ukraine, Tanzania, Uganda and Panama. Keith has also served as coordinator for the Comprehensive School of Management and Technology in Abakaliki, Nigeria for the past 3 years. He has participated in additional mission work in Scotland, Russia, Canada, Greece, Armenia, South Africa, Cambodia, and Zambia. His writings have been published in periodicals such as Gospel Advocate, Words of Truth, and The Gospel Journal. Keith's educational background, Biblical soundness, mission work, and time within the Extension Program bring a wealth of experience to the administration of the team.
Ralph Williams - Director of Extension Development
Ralph received his Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Science (chemistry, physics, and biology with a minor in Education) from Texas Christian University. Ralph has also done post-graduate work in education, curriculum development and school administration at NTSU, SWB Seminary and Zion Seminary. Ralph received his Doctorate of Theology from Zion Seminary in 1973. He has taught in both public and Christian education, as well as, instructing at the Brown Trail School of Preaching and the Bear Valley Bible Institute of Denver. Ralph has served congregations both in the mission field and throughout the U.S. for more than 40 years. He has worked with the Extension Program for the Bear Valley Bible Institute for the past 9 years. His background and experience provide an asset to the present and future development of the Extension Program.
Gary Fallis - Director of the Extension Master's Program / Instructor
Gary Fallis received his Bachelor's degree from East Texas University. Later, he completed his Master's degree in Education from East Texas State. He has attended classes at Lubbock Christians College and in the Sunset School of Preaching Graduate extension program. He completed his Master's of Divinity from Abilene Christian University in 1985. Gary has served for a number of years as a local preacher, an Administrator / Instructor for the Brown Trail School of Preaching and has been working with the Bear Valley Bible Institute in Denver since 2002.
Steven Ashcraft - Regional Director of Extensions for West Africa / Instructor
Steven received a Bachelor's Degree from the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville in 1983 in Accounting. In 2005, he received a Bachelor's in Theology from the Bear Valley Bible Institute in Denver. He served for a number of years as a missionary/evangelist in Tamale, Ghana, West Africa. During this time he was instrumental in establishing the Tamale Institute of Biblical Studies. This school is now affiliated as an extension of the Bear Valley Bible Institute in Denver. Steven is currently working with Bear Valley affiliated schools in Liberia, Nigeria, Cameroon, Togo, and Ghana. His in the field experience and vision will be an asset in the development of the work in West Africa as we train leaders for the Lord's kingdom.
Josh Austin - Coordinator for Togo and Cameroon, West Africa / Instructor
Josh received his Bachelor's Degree in Biblical Studies from the Bear Valley Bible Institute in Denver. He has served as a missionary on the Navajo Reservation in Kayenta, Arizona for eight years. His experience in a mission field within the U.S. and church growth development will provide an asset to the development of the Extension Program. Josh has accepted the position to coordinate the work in two new locations for the Extension Program, Kpalime, Togo and Wotutu, Cameroon.
David Ballard - Coordinator for Cameroon, West Africa / Instructor
David Ballard was baptized into Christ as a sophomore in high school in 1980. David has been teaching adult Bible classes since the age of 20 and has been continuing to do so for the past 28. He was the minister of the Powderly Church of Christ for four years, a deacon at the College Church of Christ for one year, a youth minister at the Blossom Church of Christ for four years, a deacon at the Blossom Church of Christ for two years and is currently the minister of the Pattonville Church of Christ. He graduated from East Texas State University in Commerce Texas with a Bachelors Degree in Agricultural and Mathematics education. David has been teaching high school math in Texas for the past 27 years. David is working toward receiving a Masters Degree in Bible from the Bear Valley Bible Institute of Denver. David has had been evangelistic in his own area of Texas as well as having mission experience in Belieze and in Cameroon. David serves the Churches of Christ in Cameroon as an evangelist and missionary and works extensively to nurture the Churches that are being positively affected both spiritually and numerically by the evangelistic efforts of the Cameroon Bible Institute of Wotutu. Because of his knowledge of, and involvement in, the Lord’s work in Cameroon, David now serves as coordinator of the Cameroon Bible Institute of Wotutu.
Donnie Bates - Regional Director of Extensions for Latin America / Instructor
Donnie Bates received his Bachelor's and Master's degree from the Bear Valley Bible Institute in Denver. He spent nine and a half years preaching for the 4th & Jackson St. church of Christ in Hugo, Oklahoma. Donnie also spent time in the mission field of Chile. He has been working with the Extension Program since 2007 on a part-time basis. As of June 1 2009, he began working full time as a teacher and extensions coordinator, starting out as the coordinator for the Bible Institute of Honduras. He now serves as a coordinator for the Theological Institute of Latin America. His mission and local experience will help in the development of the work in Central America.
To read Donnie's reports - click here.
Jerry Bates - Coordinator for India / Instructor
Jerry attended Freed Hardeman University and received his Bachelor's degree in Agricultural Economics from Mississippi State University. He earned his Master's of Arts in Religion from the Harding Graduate School of Religion in Memphis. Jerry has preached for more than 21 years, serving four congregations throughout Tennessee, Arkansas and Mississippi. He began doing mission work with World Evangelism in 2007 and presently serves as an Associate Editor for The Voice of Truth International magazine. He and his wife, Paula, do extensive travel and mission work throughout India, where he also serves as a coordinator for schools in Chandigarh and Visakhapatnam.
To read Jerry's reports - click here.
Donnie Estep - Coordinator for Uganda / Instructor
Donnie Estep received his Bachelor's degree in Biblical Studies from Appalachian Bible Institute (an extension of Bear Valley Bible Institute), as well as a Master’s degree in Biblical Studies from McDonough Bible Institute. Donnie has been preaching and teaching for over 24 years, working full time in the ministry the last 12. He has preached for the Barnabus church of Christ in Logan, WV and is currently working with the Williamson Area church of Christ in South Williamson, KY. He has traveled to Canada, Ukraine, Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda on short term Mission campaigns. Donnie has served as the Coordinator/Instructor of the Uganda School of Evangelism since its start in April of 2007.
Howell Ferguson - Coordinator for Chimala and Ukraine / Instructor
Howell completed his studies with the Memphis School of Preaching in 1983, earned his Bachelor's degree in Bible from Freed-Hardeman University, and earned his Master's degree in Biblical Studies from the Bear Valley Bible Institute in Denver. He has preached for a number of locations throughout the U.S. and served as a full-time missionary in Arusha, Tanzania. Howell has worked as a full-time coordinator for the Extension Program since 2004. Howell has also traveled to India, Malawi, Nigeria, Panama, Peru, and Zambia for other mission efforts and classes. He and his wife, Mary, continue to do extensive mission work in both Chimala and Ukraine. He presently serves as a coordinator for the schools in these locations. Howell's experience continues to provide a wealth of information for developing the work of extension training.
To read Howell's report, click here.
Garry Hill - Assistant Coordinator of Chimala / Instructor
Garry received his Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Bible from Freed Hardeman University. He earned a Master's of Arts in History from Jacksonville State University. He is presently finishing his PhD in Religious Studies from Trinity Seminary. Garry has preached at several congregations throughout the U.S. and has done archaeological work for Jacksonville State in Alabama, Jordan and for the past few years has excavated at two sites in Israel. Garry hosts a TV show called "Life in the Past Lane" on GBN where he discusses archaeology and the Bible. He has spoken on numerous occasions at lectureships, Bible camps, Colleges and Universities on Biblical Archaeology. Garry has also been involved in numerous mission trips in Honduras, Nicaragua, Scotland, Peru, and Ghana, West Africa. His expertise in history and archaeology, along with his Bible knowledge provide a great fit for the work in Chimala and other extension schools.
Denton Landon - Assistant Director of the Extensions Master's Program / Instructor
Denton graduated from the Memphis School of Preaching. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in Religion from Amridge University. He earned his Master's of Arts in Theology from the Cincinnati Bible Seminary and his Master's of Divinity in Theology from the Houston Graduate School of Theology. He has worked with congregations throughout the United States since 1983 and has served as a coordinator with the Bear Valley Bible Institute for the previous work in Panama and Peru. He presently serves as an instructor and assistant director in the Master's Program for the Extension Program.
Chad Wagner - Mission Administrator at Chimala Mission / Instructor
Chad received his Bachelor's and Master's degrees from Harding University. Chad is the mission administrator for the Chimala Mission in SW Tanzania. After preaching for more than nine years at the Gainesville Church of Christ in Paragould, Arkansas, Chad and his family moved to the Chimala Mission where he now serves as the Mission Administrator. He has traveled to England, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Netherlands, Ethiopia, and on numerous occasions to do extensive mission / campaign work in Nigeria. His knowledge of the area and the brethren provides a tremendous asset to the work of extension training. He teaches both in the Bachelor and Master's level programs for the Bear Valley Bible Institute.